Processed Food Nation
How to combat our addiction to ultra-processed eating The Standard American Diet (SAD) is packed with ultra-processed foods. These sugary, salty, and fatty food products make up more than half of the total dietary energy consumed in high-income countries like the U.S., and they were a hot topic at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ […]
Nurturing Natives
Indigenous gardens bring health, beauty, and culture to Native Americans in Chicago A chain link fence encases a lush, unexpected garden at the corner of Pulaski Road and Wilson Avenue in Chicago. Within the fence, green stalks of corn shoot skyward, bright Indian blanket flowers dot the raised beds, and milkweed lures passing butterflies. Welcome […]
Traditional Foods
Trailblazing chef Jessica Walks First is reclaiming healthy Native American culinary traditions Jessica Walks First was feeling tired one day in early November — exhausted actually, but inspired to be doing work she felt called to do. November is Native American Heritage Month, and Walks First, a Menominee chef, had been in high demand. As […]
The Power of Protein at Breakfast
Environmental Nutrition Newsletter Toast, bagels, oatmeal, and cold cereal. That’s the high-carb stuff of the typical American breakfast. Yet the latest research shows that including more protein at your morning meal might provide many health benefits, including weight loss and preserving muscle tissue. More protein, better breakfast Higher-protein breakfasts have been studied in teenagers and […]
The Perfect Lunch Bowl: The One Formula You Need
Sitting down to a healthy lunch gives you a chance to refocus and refuel during a busy day. If you think you don’t have the time to pack your own, rethink with this strategy! All you need is 30 to 60 minutes on the weekend to prep healthy lunches for the week. Use this simple […]
How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health
When you’re constantly plowing through mile-long to-do lists and putting out family fires (e.g.., the kids are fighting … again; the dog left you a “present” in the living room; you’re out of OJ), it’s easy to blame stress for whatever ails you. But consider pointing a finger at your breakfast, lunch or dinner first. […]
Is a wrap healthier than a sandwich?
Q: Are wraps healthier than sandwiches? A: That depends. Some tortilla wraps contain more calories and carbohydrates than two slices of bread. For example, if you are making lunch at home, a typical 10-inch tortilla contains about 170 calories to 200 calories. Two slices of bread could contain anywhere between 70 calories and 280 […]
Smart food choices, smart portions
Healthy eating can often seem complicated. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of foods available in grocery stores, or to wonder exactly what a portion size looks like. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed; these simple suggestions can help ensure you’re eating a nutritious, good-for-you meal every time you fill up your plate. […]
8 tips to master portion control
From restaurants to packaged foods to home cooking, portion sizes have ballooned in past decades. Many health experts link the rise in obesity rates with our tendency towards portion distortion — a mismatch between our portion sizes and energy needs. Research by the University of Cambridge found that less availability of super-sized portions alone could […]
Five bad eating habits you should break
Feel like you’re doing everything right, yet still struggling to keep your weight in check? You might be falling prey to one or more of these diet-derailing habits that can sabotage your weight-loss efforts. Find out if any of these are trumping your best efforts and learn how to get back on track. 1. Bad […]
Eating resolutions to keep, ditch
Many of us vow to get healthier as a New Year’s resolution, but if you’re trying to do so by completely overhauling your lifestyle, you’re probably setting yourself up to fail. Instead, try making resolutions you can actually stick to — and ditching those that are unattainable. Here’s help! Three resolutions to make 1. Eat […]
You Are What You Eat
With so many diets out there promising weight loss, longevity and a youthful glow, what is the right way to eat? Between all the regimens, like the Atkins, South Beach, Paleo or Mediterranean diets, the decisions are dizzying. The reality is that everyone has different nutritional needs based on gender, physical activity level and age. […]
Eat Your Medicine
Photos by Kyle Edwards Filling a grocery cart with good foods can be as important to your overall health as filling a prescription. Many studies have shown that eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits offers many health benefits including reducing incidences of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiac disease. But beyond that, many foods […]
Six tips for a healthier Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is all about abundance — or, often, overabundance. Your Uncle Tom wants to bring his favorite butter-laden mashed potatoes, your sister has convinced you to make a creamy green bean casserole, and your mother-in-law insists there be both pumpkin and apple pie (with ice cream on the side, of course). With all the rich […]
Ten ways to raise a healthy eater
Harvard Health Blog As a pediatrician, I talk about healthy eating a lot — and I talk to a lot of families whose children do not have the best eating habits. It’s not that the parents are bad parents. Many, many good parents have children who like potato chips more than Brussels sprouts — and […]
Boost-your-mood foods combat winter blues
Whether wintertime for you means blizzards or drizzle, one thing is certain: short, dark days can take a toll on your mood. But the solution isn’t to hibernate. To turn your mood around, you need to amp up your healthy habits. Exercise, especially outdoors, can help, as can some foods. Get D from fish and […]
5 tips for eating to age well
Environmental Nutrition Newsletter If you want to keep a sharp mind and able body as you age, it takes a bit of effort. Here are our five key dietary strategies: 1. Consume EPA and DHA omega-3s. These fish oils support heart health, brain function and memory during aging. That’s not all. A July 2015 American […]
Not all processed foods are unhealthy
Harvard Health Letters Nutrition gurus often urge us to spurn processed foods in favor of whole ones. But not all processed foods are necessarily bad. “Most food needs to go through some sort of processing for it to even be edible and digestible,” says Stacey Nelson, a registered dietitian and manager of clinical nutrition at […]
